In a linear motor compressor (FIG. 1), the gas compression mechanism occurs by the axial movement of a piston in the interior of a cylinder provided with a head, in which are positioned the suction and discharge valves which regulate the gas inlet and gas outlet in relation to the cylinder. The piston is driven by an actuator, which carries a magnetic component driven by a linear motor. The piston is connected to a resonant spring and the piston, jointly with the magnetic component and the spring, form the resonant assembly of the compressor.
The compressor is mounted in the interior of a shell which forms a hermetic environment in relation to the exterior thereof and which internally carries a suspension spring assembly, onto which is mounted the compressor. The function of the suspension springs is to minimize the transmission of vibration from the motor-compressor assembly to the shell. The vibrations generated during normal operation of the compressor are produced by oscillation of the mass of the mechanical assembly of the compressor, resulting from the reciprocating movement of the compressor in relation to the motor, said vibrations having a preferential direction and being more accentuated in the movement direction of the piston and less intense in directions orthogonal to this movement direction.
Some of the known prior art solutions for suspending the motor-compressor assembly use: flat springs transversally arranged to the longitudinal axis of the piston (P19902514-0; WO2006/049511) or presenting a balanced suspension system that transmits a minimum of vibration to the compressor shell (EP1301732).
The solution disclosed in WO2006/049511 presents a flat spring, made of steel-sheet, with a determined profile that offers low resistance to the movement in the direction of the gas compression, thus transmitting low vibration to the shell. Besides, this type of spring also has a determined profile that confers a determined deformation resistance, in the directions orthogonal to the piston movement, which is sufficiently high to support the compressor, with little deformation of the flat springs, due to the gravity force acting on the mechanical assembly of the compressor.
The suspension systems with parallel flat springs of the known solutions present a problem related to the great accelerations which occur during handling and transport of the compressors. In these occasions, the relative movement of the mechanical assembly of the compressor in the interior of the shell can be so intense as to cause some parts of said mechanical assembly to impact the inner surface of the shell. Important parts of the compressor can suffer damages during these impacts. Said parts are, for example, the electric motor, the suction chamber, the electrical cables, etc., which may offer risk of accident to the final user, with severe consequences.
Although the suspension system of solution WO2006/049511 minimizes the possibility of occurring the above mentioned impacts of the prior art compressors, the suspension springs, due to their little transversal and lateral flexibility, can break when submitted to great forces, causing damages to the motor-compressor assembly.